Ribbon-operating mechanism for typewriting machines



- 1,619,174 J. ALEXAND E R RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRI'ITING MACHINES March 7 l 1927 Filed Nov. 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTUR JESSE ALEXANDER RMMJ V ATTORNEY.

March 1, 1927. 1,619,174 JLALEXANDER RIBBON OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Nov. 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR JESSE ALEXANDER i ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

JESSE ALEXANDER, OE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RIBBO'N OPERA'IIING MECHANiSM TYPERVRITING 'MACHINES.

' Application filed November .My invention relatesto ribbon operating mechanism and particularly for the front stroke visible class of writing. machines.

,The main objectsare to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism which will operate it'h little power and yet is, very compact, easy to assemble and unlikely to get outof-oroler. Y r

The ribbon is fed from a spool or bobbin at one sidex-of the machine to a spool or bobbinat the other side.

- Beneath the type bars :to the front of the machine is a cross bar which connects to upright arms and moving a thumb lever. which connects to one of the upright arms, causes the arms to shift thereby throwing the driving pawl in on one side and out on the other, atthe same time releasing the spring pressed back stop which allows for the'reversing of direction. p 7

The feed'ng action is accomplished by the step by step rotation of the carriage tension as it is released by the escapement. Thenmiversal bar is also located beneath the type bar printing point and contacts with a point onthe type bar just above its fulcrum point which actuates the universal ban- The ilifting 'of the ribbon to the printing point and its retraction is accomplished by the action OIE. the universal bar. H

0116 form of the invention is shown and illustrated -in the accompanying --drawings.

' The mechanism is adapted to perform what iiskinown :as two-color -or two-ink work. The nibbon is provided with two kinds, of ink -.0I'.'1'1W0 colors of ink, thenpper edge for ins ance-being red, and the lower edge of :the

ribbon being black. The change from-one to the othergis accomplished by the pressing in or pulling out of the knob at the side. .Also the ribbon can be left inlnormal posit-ion by pushing the knob to the. central notch ifor thespurpose of stencil work, leaving the y pe free and clear to cut their impressions in the stencil. r

The invention consists in the movements.

. and principles of which are illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, as will be more fully understood from the following specifications.

Fig- 1 isa plan view of a typewritingmachine embodying my ribbon movement and showing .detailed'views of the universal bar,

5, 1923, Serial No. 672,822.

lift it so that it will print on the top of. the

ribbon or leave it in a neutral position so that it neither lifts or prints, but leaves the face of the type free to cut stencils.

Fig.-

is a sectional view .of the ribbon movement showing the rock shaft with! the extended arm carrying the driving pall, the ratchet wheel back stop ribbon shifter and thum piece for shifting to either spool, .and releasing the opposite spool. I Fig. 4 is asectional view lookingfrom the back of the machine towards the front showing the cross barland its connection to the upright releasing arms, the ribbon guide and lift, the ribbon wheels and thespringpressed lock holding the wheelson.

Fig.5 is a detailed sectional view showing the universal barswing and its connection to the rock shaft through a post and .a portion pawhthe upright releasingarms, the ribbon holder and the ribbon lifting arm with the key'and type bar movement.

Fig. 7 shows th finger piece and the spring with a projectionon for shifting the ribbon .to either spool and holding same in contact in either position. i 7

The ribbon ismounted on suitable spools or bobbins l and is driven through my key and type bar action and its co-related parts which are more fully described in my accompanying application, Serial No. 672,823, filed Nov. 5,1923; 7

The key and type bar action is shown in 6 in normal position.

The key lever 2 is pivoted in rear of the machine at 3 and has a slot and stud connection 4 with the forward arm of theintormediate lever 5, said intermediate lever .5 is pivoted at 6 and its upward extending arm l7 is pivoted to draw link 8,. Draw link 8 is pivoted to the rear and downward portion of type bar 9 with studand slot connection 10.

Type bar 9 has a shoulder or hearing 11 which contacts with universal bar 12, the universal being fixed to a support 13 as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. The depression of the key lever 2 drives the type bar against the universal bar so as to move the universal bar and its support 13 backwards against the spring 14, thereby rocking shaft 52 which .is .journaled in sleeve 15, through its connection with post 16. Post 17 fixed to shaft 52 and connected to drive pawl18, is

in turn driven forward thereby driving ratchet wheel 19 the distance of a tooth. The slot and pin 20 hold driving pawl 18 in position and also carries compression spring 21, in Fig. 4. The sleeve 15 in which shaft 52 is journaled is preferably mounted in the typewriter frame so that the rock shaft is below the universal bar support 13.

By the release of the finger lever 2 the type burl) returns to normal releasing its pressure on the universal bar, thereby allowing the universal and its support 13 to return to normal position through compressionspring 14: at the same time returning driving pawl 18 to its normal position.

This revolves ratchet wheel 19 which has a shaft 22 carrying ribbon spools 1 and driving same step by step, in order to take up any back motion and to hold the ribbon in proper position I provide a spring pressed back stop pawl 23 whichengages the ratchet wheel 19 and has an extended ortion 24: which contacts with a tooth 25 m upright arm 26 as shown in F ig. 1. Tooth 27 in upright arm 26 contacts with drive pawl 18. Finger piece 28 is mounted on frame 29 on shaft 30 and carries :1 lug 31 which has a slot and pin connection 32 with the upright arm 26. Fig. 7 shows the thumb piece 28 and a V-shaped compression spring 33. By moving the thumb piece 28 to one side of the V will in turn move the upright arm 26 to the opposite direction allowingthe driving pawl 18 to be held in contact with ratchet wheel 19 for driving and allowing back stoppawl 23 to contact holding ratchet wheel 19 in position, at the same time hold ing driving pawl 18 and back sto pawl 23 out of engagen'ient with the opposite ratchet wheel through thereleasing arm 26. The releasin arms 26 are pivoted at 34 and have a cross ar 35 pivoted at 36, thereforeit can be seen that by moving thumb piece 28 in either direction it will at the same time move the upright arms 26 through their connection with the cross bar 35 and in turn release one of the ratchet wheels 19 ofits engagement with the driving amlback stop pawls and re-engage it with the opposite side. y

37 is a push button carrying a shaft 38 Fig. 1. Said shaft has three position notches 39 and carries a link 10 connecting a slide 11 which is mounted in the under side of the universal support 13 in rear of rock shaft 52. The slide 11 is connected to the universal bar support 13 by means of a slot and pin connection 4.2; and the slide has two projections or pins ail-4:4. vertically spaced and adapted to selectively engage in a slot 15 provided in the upwardly curved rear endof a ribbon guide lifter 16 so as to exert different leverage on the lifter. The ribbon guide lifteris pivoted at 47 to the typewriter frame below "the universal bar support 13 and in rear of rock shaft 52, and has a forward lifting arm curving around the rock shaft and provided with a pin and closing slot connection 60 with the ribbon lifting guide 18. By moving the knob 37 to the extreme rightit will place the projection 43 in the slot 45, thereby causing the ribbon to lift a greater distance. versing the position and moving the knob to the extreme left, it will place projection 14 in the slot 45, thereby causing the ribbon lift guideto lift a lesser distance. By plac- By re- 1 ing the knob so it is held in the central notch or central position notches 39 Fig. 2 will leave the projections 4H1 free of the ribbon lifting guide 45 as shown in Fig. 2 thereby allowing the type bar to move to the printing Joint without liftin the ribbon.

The rib'on spools are held in position by arms &9 which are pivoted at 50. The ribbon spools or bobbins 1 are placed slightly above the ribbon lifting or holding gui e 48 in normal position in order that when in action the ribbon will be in a straight line for the print of the type. l

The ribbon lifter is positioned by three points of contact as shown in Fig. 2. The

points of contact are 39 and are held in either position by a spring pressed wire 54. By forcingthe knob in either direction the wire will give sufficient to let knob move and will then drop into the next notch, and

the outside movement is limited by the slots and pin connection 42 on the universal bar. Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and wish to have protected is this 1. In a typewriter, a universal bar, a

support for the universal bar, means for actuating the universal bar audits support, a rock shaft below the universal barsupport and actuated thereby, ribbonfeeding mechanism actuated by said rock shaft, a ribbon lifter, a lifting arm PIVOtGCl intermediate of its ends below the universal bar supportand in rear of the rock shaft, one end of the lifting arm curving around the rock shaft and having a connection with theiibbon lifter, a slide on the universal bar port in rear of the rock shaft, and pins on said slide, the opposite end of the lifting arm curving upwardly and having aslot adapted for engagement by the respective pins by shifting the slide relative to the universal bar support, and said pins being spaced to exert different leverage on the lifting arm.

2. In a typewriter, a universal bar, a support for the universal bar, means for actuating the universal bar and its support, a rock shaft below the universal bar support and actuated thereby, ribbon feeding mechanism actuated by said rock shaft, a ribbon lifter, a lifting arm pivoted intermediate of its ends to the typewriter frame below the universal bar support and in rear of the rock shaft, one end of the lifting arm curving around the rock shaft and having a pin and closed slot connection with the ribbon lifter, a slide on the underside of the universal bar support in rear of the rock shaft, and pins on said slide, the opposite end of the lifting arm curving upwardly and having a slot adapted for engagement by the respective pins by shifting the slide relative to the universal bar support, and said pins being spaced to exert different leverage on the lifting arm.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

JESSE ALEXANDER; 

